Black Friday Quilts on Cyber Monday

Whoa! Do I have my days mixed up? Or was I just slow about posting? Neither. I am in the process of a local move and I'm up to my eyeballs in boxes and packing and all the stuff you have to do to move in America. And I'm totally exhausted. Scotty - beam me up!!

Now, what do I have for you today, Cyber Monday? A few quilts that incorporate black - some with a little and some with a lot.

First out of the box is one you've seen here before. But it remains one of my favorite quilts and was the start of my Cookie Cutter Bonanza workshops.

Hearts on Fire: 46" x 63"

Hearts on Fire is 46" x 63". The hearts are raw edge appliqué and I used batiks throughout. The background black sets off each of the half-hearts in the border. The 10" x 11" blocks are created in halves (rectangles) and when you trim away the fabric from behind each heart, you get the bonus half-hearts that I used in the border (both big and little). Pretty clever, huh? Absolutely no waste. Easy. Quick. Fun.

Stained Glass Pickup Sticks uses batiks and a little black in those diagonal fabric inserts. 52" x 62"

Stained Glass Pickup Sticks

Begin with a stack of 10" squares. Make two gentle diagonal cuts. Shuffle the squares for four unique sets of patches. Insert some black strips and you now have an amazing - and easy - quilt with a lot of drama. I used batiks, but many of my students used regular quilting cottons.

Click on the link and you will see three other quilts I made using this technique. This was a workshop for a few years and I loved seeing all the fabric choices made by my students!

Classic Amish Shadows : 52" x 63"

Classic Amish Shadows Quilt

 My inspiration came from a vintage Amish quilt. I used solids throughout. This is pieced in diagonal rows. Very eye-popping! Of course, when one of my daughters saw it, she immediately asked for it. Now it lives in her home. I think this is a perfect quilt for that man in your life who isn't very comfortable with all the girlie prints that are prevalent in fabrics today. Sometimes it's just hard to find a pattern that is universal in its appeal. Most of the Amish quilts seem to meet that bill.

EZ Winding Ways is one you've seen here before. 55" x 55" with 10" blocks. 

EZ Winding Ways

There is NO curved piecing, only two units per block: a 10-1/2" background square and a single Winding Ways appliqué patch! I simplified this vintage block years ago and have made several quilts like this (you can see them at my Craftsy site). I added the four colored blocks in a diagonal row to break up the monotony of plain black and white. A colored inner border and then black and white for the border. Sure to impress - and very quick. 

Check out these earlier posts where I show you how the block is constructed!

• Winding Ways with the Handmaker fabrics by Windham
• Winding Ways Tutorial - very long and very helpful!

Well, back to packing and cleaning and moving and all that stuff. I can't wait until I am on the other side (about 18 miles away) so I can get back to sewing. My sewing room is the FIRST I set up (after the kitchen) and after 12 of these moves in 41 years, I've got this down to a science. I'll be sewing within a week - I promise. And sharing some new things with you.

Thanks for stopping by. Yes, it's Cyber Monday but there is no way I'm shopping. I don't need any more "stuff."